1963 Aston Martin DB5 - The Bondmobile

Sports Car Icon of the 1960s

The Aston Martin Bondmobile was an icon of the swinging '60s, roaring into public consciousness in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.

The car played a principle role in the film's success, becoming almost as synonymous with the Bond film as Sean Connery. The film, in fact, could be the reason the Aston Martin DB5 is the most famous car in the world.

In 1963, Aston Martin was hand-making only 200 cars a year. One of the world's most exclusive car makers, it concentrated on satisfying a demand for expensive, high performance touring sports cars for the super rich jet set.

The Aston Martin Bondmobile

Elegant, powerful and desirable to the extreme with an air of intrigue and danger, the DB5 was a tangible expression of the personality of James Bond. It also appeared in Casino Royale, Tomorrow Never Dies, Thunderball, and GoldenEye.

The "DB" comes from the initials of Sir David Brown, who headed Aston Martin between 1947 and 1972.

In its day, the DB5 was considered stylish to the extreme. Recessed headlights, sloping bodylines, stylish roof and slim tail lamps gave a sleek, streamlined look that was definitive, and many believe the outstanding British car of its era.

High Performance Sports Car

Launched in 1963, the DB5 replaced the DB4, from which it was developed, and was made available as a sports saloon or convertible. The DB4 was lighter than the DB5, which was longer and also heavier than its predecessor, but the DB5 was given a 4-litre double overhead engine producing 282 bhp. It had a top speed of 142 mph and could reach 60 mph in 7.1 seconds.

Aston Martin also produced a high-performance Vantage version of the DB5 with a power output of 325 bhp. The early models had a 4-speed gearbox, and had an option of 3-speed automatic or 5-speed ZF manual unit.

On all DB5s the five-speed gearbox became the standard and Aston Martin improved the DB5 over the DB4 by adding a better exhaust system, providing an alternator instead of a dynamo. A more detailed technical specification can be found on the Aston Martin Heritage DB5 Web page.

All models had 2 doors and four seats, and rather than bulletproof windscreens, the standard DB5 came with pile carpets, reclining seats, a fire extinguisher, electric windows, as well as an option for air conditioning.

Cost of the DB5

In December 1963 the price for the Aston Martin DB5 sports saloon coupe was £4,175, with the convertible priced at £4,490. In 1965, after producing about 1,000 DB5 models, Aston Martin replaced it with the DB6.